Cold Winter Areas
Zones: 1–7a
These zones experience cold winters with extended periods of freezing temperatures. In March, monitor soil conditions, thaw cycles, and late frosts as you prepare for early outdoor sowing. Indoors, this is a busy month for starting cool-season crops and hardy flowers under lights or in a greenhouse so they are ready to transplant as soon as the weather warms.
Indoors (fresh harvests):
- Microgreens: peas, broccoli, sunflowers, arugula.
- Sprouts: alfalfa, broccoli, radish, mung
- Herbs & greens under lights: chives, parsley, mint
Crops to start indoors in good light: bunching onion, eggplant, tomato, pepper, zinnia, basil, Swiss chard, cosmos
Transplants to move outdoors (weather permitting - harden first): Onion, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, arugula, pansy, viola
Crops that can be directly sown outdoors in March (assume intermittent frosts; a low tunnel or row cover makes most of these reliable): pak choi, cabbage, kale, mustard, fava bean, pea, turnip, parsnip, sweet pea
Cover crops: winter rye, fava bean, hairy vetch, red or white clover, and cover crop mixes.
Tip: This zone group covers a lot of territory. Nothing takes the place of talking with experienced gardeners in your area and, of course, watching the weather closely.
Use your USDA zone as a guide. Microclimates matter—coastal/urban spots run warmer; high elevation runs colder. 7b pockets can follow “Mild” recommendations with protection.
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![Legend: H for Heirloom, O for Organic, A for AAS Winner, F for staff favorites]()
Eggplant Seeds - Rosa Bianca - Organic
Solanum melongena (81 days) This beautiful pink-purple fruit also has white shading. Rosa Bianca eggplant is 4-6" in size. Rarely bitter. Heat lover, but produces well even in Coastal areas....
Pumpkin Seeds - Wee-B-Little
Wee B Little Pumpkin is the perfect miniature pie pumpkin. This orange pumpkin was a AAS Winner for 1999. Wee B Little grows an orange pumpkin that is small enough...
Cucumber Seeds - Housaku - Hybrid
55-60 Days to maturity. Cucumis sativus ‘Housaku’. Housaku Cucumber Seeds. Warm-season annual hybrid. Non-GMO. The name “housaku” means “good harvest” and it lives up to the name! It is a...
Pumpkin Seeds - Show Winner
Cucurbita maxima As the name implies, this is the pumpkin to grow if you want to win a novelty contest. The giant pumpkins develop in an array of colors, including...
Pak Choi Seeds - Wa Wa Qing - Hybrid
30-35 Days to maturity. Brassica rapa Chinensis group. Wa Wa Qing, Pak Choi (Bok Choy) Seeds. Hybrid Non-GMO Annual. This is a “Shanghai baby” pak choi variety. Plants grow upright,...
Pumpkin Seeds - Galeaux d'Eysines
100 days. Cucurbita maxima. Galeaux d'Eysines Pumpkin Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, heirloom, open-pollinated winter squash. This crop is suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and pumpkin patches. At first glance, this...
Flowering Cabbage Seeds - Osaka Series
91-98 Days to maturity. Brassica oleracea var. capitata. Osaka Flowering Cabbage Seeds. Non-GMO, cool weather annual. Osaka Series Osaka Flowering cabbage seeds grow a classic and elegant swirl of color...
Lettuce Seeds - Black Seeded Simpson - Organic
Lactuca Sativa (45 days) An old reliable lettuce that is heat resistant, slow to bolt and very dependable. Leaves are large, but lightly crispy and ruffled. Excellent for spring, early...
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Purple Beauty Bell (Organic)
70 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Organic Purple Beauty Bell Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, organic, high-yielding, drought tolerant, sweet pepper with no heat. 0 Scoville Heat...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Habanero Lemon
90-99 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum chinense. Habanero Lemon Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, deer resistant, hot pepper with extremely hot heat levels. 400,000 to 500,000 Scoville Heat...
Pea Seeds - Thomas Laxton
60-70 days. Pisum sativum Non-GMO. Heirloom. A true American heirloom, this pea originated in rural England in the 1800s and was bred by Thomas Laxton's sons who named the variety...
Mustard Seeds - Old Fashioned
B. juncea (42 days) Old Fashioned Mustard is the classic mustard typically found in Southern gardens of yesteryear. It is still widely grown in the South for its reliability and...
Melon Seeds - Korean - Dae Jang Geum Hybrid
65 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo var. makuwa. Dae Jang Geum Korean Hybrid Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, Asian Melon. Suitable for growing in garden...
Melon Seeds - Honeydew - Orange Flesh
105 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Orange Flesh Honeydew Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant Honeydew Melon. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
Lettuce Seeds - Butterhead - Kagraner Sommer
50-60 days. Non-GMO. Open-pollinated. Kagraner Sommer Lettuce Seeds from True Leaf Market produce a butterhead lettuce with light green leaves that is slow to bolt. Also known as Kagran Summer...
Pumpkin Seeds - Musquee De Provence
C. moschata (122 days) Musquee De Provence is a French heirloom that was introduced to this country by Vaughan's Seed Store in 1899. One of the most distinct pumpkins you...
Zucchini Seeds - Round
Cucurbita pepo Round Zucchini is a stunning plant with speckled green leaves born on a robust bush-type plant. Super fast growing and are generally eaten when they are 3-4" in...
Sunflower Seeds - Maximilian
90-110 Days to maturity. Helianthus maximiliani. Maximilian Sunflower Seeds: Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. Ornamental. Perennial. Heirloom. Maximilian sunflower seeds grow a playful and unique perennial variation on a classic summertime favorite....
Pak Choi Seeds - Red Tatsoi - Hybrid
45 Days to full maturity, 20-30 Days for baby leaf, 10-15 Days for microgreens. Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa. Red Tatsoi, Pak Choi Seeds. Annual, Hybrid. Cool Season. This vigorous hybrid...
Chinese Mustard Seeds - Shuidong
35 to 45 Days to maturity. Brassica juncea. Shuidong Chinese Mustard Seeds. Non-GMO, Heirloom, non-GMO, Cool Season Annual. Shuidong mustard is named after the town where it was first cultivated,...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Big Rainbow
85-90 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Big Rainbow Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant...
Hollyhock Seeds - Indian Spring
2nd-year maturity. Alcea rosea. Hollyhock Indian Spring Seeds. Non-GMO, Perennial/Biennial. Indian Spring Mix hollyhock is easy to grow from seed and ideal for gardens with mild winters across North America....
Beet Seeds - Red Mammoth Mangel
Beta vulgaris (100 days) Fodder beets have been around since the 1400s if not earlier. These beets were prized as nutritious animal feed that was easy to store. Fodder beets...
Radish Seeds - Crimson Giant
Raphanus sativus (29 to 40 days) Sometimes called Crimson "Giant Globe Radish" or "Giant Butter Radish". Crimson Giant Radish seeds grow large 1 1/2 - 2" globe shaped crimson red...
Lanceleaf Coreopsis Seeds
100-300 Days to maturity. Coreopsis lanceolata. Lanceleaf Coreopsis Seeds. Non-GMO, Perennial. Lanceleaf Coreopsis flowers are perennial wildflowers with solitary yellow daisy-like flowers blooming on long stalks from May to August....
Bean Seeds - Pole - White Seeded Yard Long
65-75 Days to maturity. Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis. White Seeded Yard Long Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heat-tolerant, heirloom, pole, snap, Asian, specialty bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden...
Basil Seeds - Purple Ruffles
Non-GMO, Heirloom Purple Ruffles Basil Herb Seed from True Leaf Market. Ocimum basilicum x purpurascens. As basil has many different types, Purple Ruffles Basil is a sweet cultivar that grows...
Cucumber Seeds - Armenian (The Duke)
65 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. The Duke Armenian Cucumber Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, monoecious slicing cucumber. Suitable for growing in fields, containers (with support), garden plots, raised beds,...
Onion Seeds - Bunching - White Lisbon
40-60 Days to maturity. Allium fistulosum. White Lisbon Onion Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, perennial (see zone info), open-pollinated, heirloom, cold hardy, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, bunching onion. Suitable for growing in...
Radish Seeds - China Rose - Organic
55 days. This popular radish for sprouting produces crisp rose colored winter radishes. Radishes are 8" long by 2" wide with rose colored skin and white flesh. Not suitable for...
Tomato Seeds - Salad - Jubilee
72-85 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Jubilee Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, 1943 AAS winner, indeterminate, salad tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised...
Cucumber Seeds - Armenian (Organic)
63 Days to maturity. Cucumis Melo. Organic Armenian Cucumber Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, monoecious, slicing cucumber. Suitable for growing in fields, containers (with support), garden plots, raised beds,...
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